Hydraulically operated vise assembly



Nov. 30, 1943.

F. D. BUTLER HYDRAULIGALLY OPERATED VISE ASSEMBLY Filed Oct.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I I E g gg 5 f 5' I": fqtz 0'! 43 57 37 40 l- 4/ H 4; 81 v 1 4 I2\ M111 *1 I, FEE; I J 2 -55 /z/ 55 M m 4 7 3 4. 30 5 5 r T m3/ INVENTOR.

Nov. 30, I943.

F. D. BUTLIER 2,335,258

HYDRAULICALLY OPERATED VISE ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 24, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet2 Patented Nov. 30, 1943 HYDRAULIGALLY OPERATED VIISE ASSEMBLY FrankDavid Butler, United States Navy Application October 24, 1942, SerialNo. 463,277

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 3700. G. 757) 3 Claims.

While my invention relates in general to hydraulically operated viseassemblies, it applies more specifically to such assemblies as adaptableto securing and indexing work to be milled in milling machines. In sucha vise assembly I provide a vise body having parallel extending visejaws and adapted to be secured parallel to the table of a millingmachine, a center piece extending parallel to and secured midway betweensaid vise jaws, a series of pairs of opposing combined plunger andmovable vice jaws having their plunger ends slidably mountedtransversely in said center piece and being adaptable to be forcedhydraulically outward apart toward said parallel extending vise jaws,and a manually operated, pressure registering, hydraulic unit forhydraulically forcing said movable vise jaws apart outward. Incombination with the foregoing I provide further a pair of indexingdevices consisting of a series of spur gears having inverted V shapedlower ends and mounted in a suitable frame in such a manner as to berotatable by a gear rack member and forming a means for simultaneouslyrotatively indexing all of the articles of work secured in saidhydraulically operated vise. The object of my invention being to providea milling machine vise assembly of the type mentioned and of a lengthapproximately equal to the length of travel of the milling machine tableand wherein numerous articles, of slightly varying diameter sizes, maybe simultaneously hydraulically secured in a pair of rows in suchassembly during a machine milling operation and wherein each of saidrows of articles may (one row at a time) be simultaneously indexed anynumber of degrees of rotation for a second or third machine millingoperation, and thus to increase the mass production complete milling ofsuch articles to the maxi mum capacity of the milling machine.

With reference to the figures of the drawings; Fig. 1 is a combinedtransverse section and broken away end elevation view of myhydraulically operated vise, hydraulic unit, and indexing deviceassembly; Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view through a portion of thevise assembly showing a pair of the combined plunger and movable visejaws in their full outward travel positions; Fig. 3 is a plan view ofthe parts illustrated in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view through the manually operatedhydraulic unit; and Fig. 5 is a plan and broken away view of theassembly illustrated in Fig. 1.

With reference to the accompanying drawings, similar numerals representand indicate similar parts in the several figures, in which the numerall indicates the vise body which should normally be manufactured from asolid piece of low carbon steel which is machined away to reduce theweight of the construction as illustrated and is then pack-hardened,straightened and ground to finished dimensions. The vise center piece 2is also normally manufactured from a solid piece of low carbon steelwhich is (similar to the vise body) machined, pack-hardened,straightened and then ground to finished dimensions, and is adapted toextend longitudinally in the upper portion of the vise body I and to besecured centrally transversely therein by the fillester headed bolts 3..

This centerpiece 2 has a series of transversely extending cylindricalbores 4 equally spaced throughout its length. Each of said bores isadapted to receive a pair of opposed combined plunger and V shapedmovable vise jaws 5 which are equipped each with a cup shaped rubberpacking disc 6 which latter are retained separate from one another bythe spacer collars 1 each of which latter are retained centrallytransversely in the center piece 2 by the retainer pins 8 which pinsform a drive fit in piece 2.

A hydraulic fluid supply passage 9 extends longitudinally throughout thelength of the center piece 2 and is connected, at one of its ends, tothe manually operated hydraulic fluid pressure device IB, and throughoutits length to each of the cylindrical bores 4 by the communication portsI I. This manually operatedhydraulic fluid pressure device I0 consistsof, an externally threaded flanged cylindrical body member l2 adapted tobe secured to one end of the center piece 2 by the stud-bolts 13, anelongated cylindrically shaped plunger l4 slidably mounted within thebody member l2, a cupped shaped rubber packing disc l5 for plunger 14, aspring loaded pressure registering spindle member !6 adapted to beslidably mounted within plunger I4, a cup shaped rubber packing disc llfor spindle IS, a resilient spring I8 for loading spindle l6, aninternally threaded manually rotatable nut memoer l9 adapted to fit overbody member l2 and with which to longitudinally move plunger l4 withinthe latter, and a thrust bearing 20 to take the thrust between nut 19and plunger M. This pressure device it) is further provided with aspring loaded ball-check fitting 2i for the purpose of adding additionalhydraulicfluid to such.

device and through which air therein may .be bled oii by pressing downon the ball-check (not shown) of such fitting while pressure is beingapplied to the pressure device. The capacity of the chamber 22, formedin the flanged cylinder body member I2 adjacent to the end of andadapted to slidably receive the plunger 64, should be such that with allof the movable vise jaws in approximately their full inward travelpositions (as illustrated in Fig. 1), the plunger I4 will be relativelyclose to its full outward travel in said chamber l2 and that (withouteither adding to or removing any hydraulic fluid from the assembly) byforcing the plunger I4 to relatively close to its full inward travel inchamber Hall of the movable vise jaws 5 will be forced to their fulloutward travel positions as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3.

With reference to Figs. 1 and 4, the operation of the hydraulic pressuredevice I2, of the hydraulic vise assembly, is as follows: Assuming thatthe assembly is full of hydraulic fluid, that the plunger I4 isrelatively close to its full outward travel and that two rows (ofmaximum capacity millable size) cap screws 23 are mounted in either ofthe vise assemblies as illustrated in Fig. 1: Then, as the nut I9 isrotated so as to force the plunger I4 (through thrust bearing 26) inwardinto chamber 22 of the hydraulic pressure device II), a hydraulicpressure is created within chamber 22, supply passage 9, communicationport I I and the center portion of bores 4, thus forcing the movablevise jaws 5 all outward in. bores 4 and causing jaws 5 to exert pressure(at their V shaped ends) against the upper ends of cap screws 23 therebyforcing said screws outward against the parallel vise jaws 24 of'saidvise as- Y sembly and thus holding them securely depending upon thehydraulic pressure created in chamber 22 and upon the size in diameterof the bores 4. Simultaneously with such inward movement or" plunger I4in chamber 22 and th creation of hydraulic pressure on the hydraulicfluid in the latter, a similar hydraulic pressure is formed in therelatively small chamber 25 (formed adjacent to and adaptable toslidably receive the inner end of spindle I6) through the access port 25and exerts a hydraulic pressure on and thus tends to force the spindleI6 outward against the opposing resilient pressure 'of spring I8, and toregister such pressure on the scale 27 of said spindle I6. Thisregistering of the hydraulic pressure present, in chamber 22 andadjacent the inner cylindrical ends of the movable vise jaws 5,'on thepressure scal 21 of the spindle I 6, makes it possible to determine, ata glance, the hydraulic pressure on the vise assembly at any time.

In order to release the hydraulic pressure on the fluid adjacent theinner plunger ends of the movable vise jaws 5 and to retract them inbores 4, the nut I9 is rotated so as to withdraw the plunger I4 in thechamber 22 at such time as the hydraulic pressure in the latter isreduced sufliciently to allow the resilient spring I8 to seat the nut 28of spindle I6 against the outer. end of nut I9.

The object in constructing the hydraulic device II] with the resilientspring I8 opposing the projected area hydraulic pressure on therelatively small inward end of spindle I6 in lieu of opposingthe'projected area hydraulic pres.-.

sure on the relatively large inward end of plunger H is to relativelyreduce the required size of said spring to resist said hydraulicpressure applied on such device.

The flexible and resilient rubber packing discs 6. I5 and I! areprovided adjacent the inner ends of vise jaws 5, plunger I4 and spindleI6 respectively for the purpose of preventing leakage of the hydraulicfluid therepast.

The bores 4 are so spaced in the center piece 2 and the V shaped ends ofthe movable vise jaws 5 are of such width as to cause the side faces ofeach of such jaws to contact the side faces of the adjacent jaws withthe exception of the outer side faces of the vise jaws located at theextreme ends of the vise assembly which are butted against the dowelpins 29 which latter are a drive fit in the vise body I.

All of the side faces of the V shaped ends of the vise jaws 5 areconcentric with the plunger ends of said jaws, and the verticalthickness of said V shaped ends is such as to cause the lower side facesthereof to rest on a machined surface of the vise body I and the upperside faces of said ends to be flush with the upper surface of theparallel vise jaws 24.

The vise body I has the relatively large lightening hole 30 extendingthroughout its length providing access to the nuts on bolts 3 and 33 andis further machined away at SI for lightening purposes. The end faces ofthe vise body I are machined away at 32 to form wrench access to thenuts of the combined vise holding down and alinement bolts 33. Theseries of vertically extending holes 34 (corresponding in number to anda trifle larger in diameter than the largest diameter cap screws 23millable in the vise assembly) are drilled in the vise body I from itsunder side and are spaced similar to and in line transversely in suchvise body with the bores 4 in the center piece 2 of such vise body. Thesemicircular grooves 35 are provided in the corners of the internalmachined surfaces of the vise body I as run-outs for the grinding wheelused during the manufacture of such vise body.

During the milling of square (or hexagon) heads on the cap-screws 23,the latter are first inserted in the holes 34 of the vise assembly (orassemblies) while the movable vise jaws 5 are in their maximum inwardposition of travel. The

; nut I9, of the hydraulic unit IE, is then rotated so as to build up ahydraulic pressure on the liquid fluid in chamber 22 and at the innerends of bores 4 thus forcing vise jaws 5 outward against the upper outersurfaces of cap screws 23 and thereby causing the latter to be forcedoutward against parallel vise jaws 24. Simultaneously with the buildingup of hydraulic pressure on the liquid in chamber 22 and in bores 4, asimilar pressure is built up in chamber 25 thus forcing the stem I6outward and making the pressure in pounds per square inch, on the fluidin chamber 25, visible on scale 21 of stem I6. When the rows of capscrews 23 are secured sufficiently tight between jaws 5 and 24 in bothvise assemblies, they are then all milled (at one time in one full tabletravel out) by four pairs of straddle mills (milling cutters), and afterthis milling operation all of such cap screws should appear asillustrated in the left hand row of the left hand vise assembly I inFigs. 1 and 5. These rows of cap screws 23 (in both vise assemblies) arethen ready to be released in the visesand rotatably indexed thereindegrees so that they will all appear as illustrated in the second rowfrom the left in 'theleft vise in Figs. 1 and 5,

after whichthey are again secured hydraulically right vise in Figs. 1and 5, and the milling of g the heads of these cap screws is completeand the screws are ready for removal from the Vises.

With reference to Figs. 1 and 5, the rotatable indexing of the capscrews 23 in the vise assembly, as previously mentioned, is accomplishedthrough the indexing device 35. This indexing device consists of a rightand left hand pair of indexing units 31 secured together by a pair ofshouldered stud-bolts 33 which latter are used to simultaneously spacesaid units the proper distance apart from one another and to secure thehalves 39 and 53 of' each of said units together. Each unit 37 isprovided with two alignment pins M which are threaded at their upperends and are adapted to be screwed into the halves 45 of said units andto fit snugly at theirlower ends into the slots 42 in the Vises I, andalign the entire indexing device with the vises. Each unit 37 consistsof a series of spur gears 43 which are rotatably mounted in the halves39 and 43 of said unit, a gear rack 44 slidably mounted in said halvesand adapted to rotate said spur gears, a registering index disc member45 adapted to be secured by a pin 45 to an extension 4! of one of the(preferably the centrally located) gears 43 so as to rotate with thelatter, and two end plates 48 adapted to seal the openings in the endsof halves 33 and 45. The spur gears 43 are spaced ineach of the indexingunits 3? the same as the cap screws 23 are spaced in the Vises I, andare each equipped with an inverted V shaped lower end 49 which isadapted to fit over the parallel edges of the milled heads of said capscrews 23. The upper ends of all (except one of the centrally located)gears 43 are provided with a cylindrically shaped thrust plug 55 whichwith the elastic rubber member i is mounted in the recess 52 andtogether with 5i are adapted to keep the V shaped ends 43 of said gears43 down tightly against the heads of the cap screws 23 when the latterare not all of the same height from the top of vise I.

After the heads of cap screws 23 have undergone their first straddlemilling operation, they then appear as in the first row from the left ofthe left vise in Figs. 1 and 5. Assuming that they are to be milledsquare when completed, they are then ready to be rotated (01' rotativelyindexed) through 90 degrees andshould then appear as in the adjacent rowto the one just mentioned. In order to accomplish this rotativeindexing, the device is manually mounted over one of the Vises I andwith the alignment pins 4| extending into the slots 42 and having all ofthe V shaped ends 43 of gears 43 straddling the partly finished machinedheads of cap screws 23 similar to the manner illustrated in the left rowof the left vise in Figs. 1 and 5. The hydraulic device I I] (whichthrough the resiliency of spring I8 is maintaining the pressure on thehydraulic fluid which is holding cap screws 23 secure in vise I) is thenreleased and both gear racks 44 are pushed inward from a position oftravel similar to that shown at the full left to that shown in theintermediate left in Figs. 1 and 5 by the machine operator. This lattermovement simultaneously rotates allthe spur gears 43, all the cap screws23 (beneath said gears 43) and the registering index disc members frompositions similar to those illustrated to the left to those illustratedto the intermediate left in Figs. 1 and 5. The cap screws 23 are thenready to be hydraulically secured again in vise I, and when a similarindexing of the cap screws 23 in the in indexing the cap screws 23 inthe vise I, the

gear racks 44 are provided with twin adjustment nuts 53 which lockagainst one another and are adapted to strike the ends of halves 39 whenthe heads of said screws are in th position in which they areillustrated in the right row of the left vise in Figs. 1 and 5 and whenthe engraved lines 54 (on the registering index disc 45) simultaneouslyalign with the split 55 between halves 39 and 40. The gear rack stopplate 56 is made adjustable by stud-bolts 51 and nuts 53 so that it maybe adjusted so that the ends of gear racks 44 will strike it when the Vshaped ends of spur gears 43 are parallel straddle to the edges of therows of heads of cap screws 23, and the engraved lines 59 (on theregistering index 45) simultaneously align with the split 55 betweenhalves 39 and 40 as illustrated to the full left in Figs. 1 and 5.

In order to increase the speed in indexing the cap screws 23 in the viseI, when the heads of said screws are to be milled hexagon in shape, theadjustment nuts 53 are screwed outward and locked against each other sothat they will strike the stop plate 56 Whenthe gear rack 44, gears 43,heads of cap screws 23 and index disc 45 are in the positions in whichthey are illustrated to the extreme left in Figs. 1 and 5, and whichwould be their position during the first hexagon milling operation. Forthe second of such milling operations, the oblong spacing plate 60(which is mounted on the bolt BI and held securely against plate 56 bythe resilient spring 62) is swung around parallel to plate 56 so thatthe outer end of nuts 53 will strike it as the gear racks 44 are movedinward and as the engraved lines 63 (on the index disc 45)simultaneously align with the splits 55 in the halves 39 and 45 and theheads of the cap screws 23 come into position in vise I for said secondmilling operation. For the third of such hexagon milling operations, thegear racks 44 are moved inward until the inner ends of nuts 53 strikethe ends of halves 38 at which time the engraved lines 64 (on the indexdiscs 45) should simultaneously align with the splits 55 in the halves33 and 40 and the heads of the cap screws 23 should be in position invise I for said third milling operation which will complete the hexagonmilling of the heads of cap screws 23.

When smaller diameter cap screws 23 (than those illustrated) are to bemilled, the indexing units 31 "are moved further apart from one anotherby and through the adjustment of nuts 55 on stud-bolts 38.

Under normal'conditions a hydraulic fluid similar to that used in thebrakes of hydraulically operated brake systems on automobiles would besatisfactory for use in the hydraulic device ID.

A handle 66 is provided at the opposite end of each vise from thehydraulic unit I0 in order to make it more convenient to remove the visefrom the milling machine table.

When manually operating the indexing unit 36 it is held down manuallywith the V shaped ends 49 of gears 43 tightly pressed against the upperends of the heads of cap screws 23.

' It is understood that slight changes may be made in the meansdisclosed without digressing an elongated main body portion having twoparallel vise jaws extending along the upper outer portion thereof andbeing separated from one another by an elongated stepped recess having alower and an upper level, a center piece extending parallel to said jawsand fitting and secured within the lower level of said stepped recess, aseries of cylindrical holes equally spaced throughout the length of andextending laterally through said center piece between said jaws and on alevel with the horizontal center line of the upper level of said steppedrecess, a series of holes arranged in a row and extending verticallythrough said main'body portion there being one row adjacent each of saidjaws and each hole in each row being spaced the same distance apart assaid cylindrical holes, a series of combined plungers and vise jawsadapted to be slidably mounted in pairs with one plunger extending intoeach end of each of said cylindrical holes and having each a V shapedouter end extending toward said parallel vise jaws and being fitted torest upon the step of the upper level of said stepped recess, a cupshaped resilient packing rubber adjacent each inward or plunger end ofeach of said combined plunger and vise jaws, a spacer ring for each ofsaid cylindrical holes, means for securing each spacer ring midway inthe length of its respective cylindrical hole, a hydraulic fluidcommunication passage extending longitudinally through out said centerpiece beneath said cylindrical holes, an access port extending betweeneach of said cylindrical holes and said communication passage andoffering an unobstructed passage between the latter and to adjacent saidpacking rubbers, said Vise assembly being for the purpose of securingbolts while the heads thereof are be ing milled, means for hydraulicallyforcing each pair of said combined plungers and vise jaws outwardagainst said bolts and securing the latter against said parallel visejaws and including means to retract said combined plungers and visejaws, and means for rotatively indexing said bolts while mounted in saidvise when more than one milling operation is necessary.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 characterised by, said means forhydraulically forcing each pair of said combined plunger and vise jawsoutward and for retracting the latter comprising a cylindrically shapedexternally threaded main body member adapted to be secured'to one end ofsaid center piece and having a cylindrical bore concentric therewith incommunication with said communication passage in said center piece, anelongated cylindrical plunger slidably mounted and extending into saidcylindrical bore, a cup shaped resilient rubber packing member adjacentthe end of said plunger extending into said cylinder bore, a thrustbearing contacting the opposite end of the last mentioned plunger, aninternally threaded nut member adapted to fit over said externallythreaded main body member and to contact said thrust bearing on theopposite side to the last mentioned plunger, the head of the plungerbeing provided with a bore of relatively large diameter openingrearwardly, a cylindrical bore of somewhat smaller diameter forwardly ofthe larger bore and communicating therewith, and a constricted accessport forward of said smaller bore and passing axially therefrom throughthe forward reduced end of said piston and establishing communicationbetween said cylinder bore and said smaller bore in said piston, anelongated spindle member having a plunger end adapted to be slidablymounted in the smaller of said different diameter bores and an outerstem end opposite said plunger end and an enlarged collar portionbetween said ends mentioned, a resilient spring member surrounding saidstem end and opposed between said collar and said thrust bear-' ing, aplurality of nuts on the outer end of said stem, a graduated scale onsaid stem adjacent said plurality of nuts, a cup shaped resilient rubberpacking member adjacent the plunger end of said spindle member, meansfor filling the latter with hydraulic fluid, said threaded nut memberbeing adapted to advance said piston thereby creating hydraulic pressurein the cylinder bore and the smaller piston bore and against the stem ofsaid piston, whereby pressure will be registered on said graduated scaleof said stem of said spindle.

3. The structure defined in claim 1 characterised by, said means forrotatively indexing said bolts while mounted in said vise and when morethan one milling operation is necessary comprising two elongatedlongitudinally split housing members adapted to be mounted one eachdirectly over said rows of vertically extending holes in said main bodyportion and both being secured together by a plurality of adjustablestud-bolts, a series of spur gears mounted in rows in said split housingmembers, there being one row of such gears rotatively mounted in eachsplit housing member directly over each row of said vertically extendingholes, an inverted V shaped downward projecting lower end on each ofsaid spur gears and adapted to straddle the heads of said bolts to bemilled after the first milling operation, resilient'means for thrustingsaid gears downward, one gear rack slidably mounted in each of saidsplit housing members and adapted to rotatively turn the row of saidspur gears in its respective housing member, adjustable means forspacing the travel of each of said racks for indexing the rotation ofsaid spur gears, and a graduated disc member secured to one of said spurgears in each of said rows of gears and each being adapted to registerthe amount in degrees that the gear to which it is secured and similarother gears in the row are rotatively indexed.

DAVID BU'ILER.

